SAN JOSE, Calif., Oct. 15 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Atmel(R) Corporation (NASDAQ:
ATML), a leader in microcontroller-based solutions, today announced that its
AVR(R) XMEGA(TM) and
AVR32 product families have been selected for iBiquity(R) Digital's HD Radio(TM) reference design platforms. Many leading consumer audio manufacturers use iBiquity reference designs to help bring their new innovative products, services and equipment to market, and to enable a seamless transition to digital HD Radio Technology. Both the AVR XMEGA and AVR32 processor families are used in a number of HD Radio designs for user interface and control functions. Atmel's
AVR32 32-bit microcontrollers provide increased processing power for a number of varied HD Radio designs including MP3 decoding, USB connectivity, and iPOD(R) docking applications that are now being shipped throughout the world.

"Atmel's 8- and 32-bit solutions provide an excellent balance of performance, features and cost for the HD Radio market," said Jeff Jury, Chief Operating Officer at iBiquity. "Additionally, Atmel's software tools and support allow iBiquity and our end-customers the ability to develop new products very quickly, while addressing increased market requirements in real-time."

The
AVR XMEGA is an 8-/16-bit, high performance microcontroller family with very low active and standby current consumption. This family includes 12-bit A/Ds and D/As, various peripheral interfaces (USARTS, SPI, TWI), and an internal DMA (direct memory access) making it an outstanding choice for many consumer applications. The AVR32 is available with both full- and high-speed USB OTG (On-the-Go) and Ethernet interfaces. Additionally, Atmel offers its free
QTouch(R) software library, which runs on the AVR XMEGA and AVR32 product family, to allow system designers to implement capacitive touch buttons to their existing application without any additional cost.

Atmel Corporation is a global leader in the design and manufacture of microcontrollers, and complementary products such as capacitive touch sensing ICs, ASICs, nonvolatile memory and radio frequency components. Leveraging one of the industry's broadest intellectual property (IP) technology portfolios, Atmel is able to provide the electronics industry with complete microcontroller based system solutions focused on consumer, industrial, automotive, security, communications computing markets. By providing tools and support Atmel enables those customers to lead the markets they serve with electronic products that are smaller, smarter, more cost-effective and versatile than ever before.

(C) 2009 Atmel Corporation. All Rights Reserved. Atmel(R), Atmel logo and combinations thereof, QTouch(R), AVR(R) and others, are registered trademarks, XMEGA(TM) and others are trademarks of Atmel Corporation or its subsidiaries. Other terms and product names may be trademarks of others.

iBiquity Digital Corporation is the developer of HD Radio(TM) Technology, which is fueling the digital radio revolution in the United States and around the world. The digital technology enables broadcasters to offer new FM channels through multicasting, crystal-clear sound and data services on both the AM and FM bands - all free, with no subscription fee. Leading broadcasters, consumer electronics manufacturers, automakers and retailers are committed to HD Radio technology. iBiquity Digital is a privately held company with operations in Columbia, MD, Auburn Hills, MI, and Basking Ridge, NJ. For more information, please visit
http://www.hdradio.com and
http://www.ibiquity.com. HD Radio(TM) is a proprietary trademark of iBiquity.